Bill Haber / The Associated PressFormer Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich addresses the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans Thursday. This was the opening session of the four day conference. Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindalshare a stage this afternoon on day two of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, which kicked off Thursday night with former House Speaker Newt Ginrgrich leading the blistering indictments of President Barack Obamaand the Democratic Congress.

Railing against all-things-Democratic is to be expected at a conference where the 3,500 attendees are among the most ardent Republicans from many of the country's most conservative states. But there are some deeper story lines that may involve, dare we say it, nuance, to say nothing of palace intrigue within the GOP ranks.

Here are a few things to listen for as the conference, billed as both a pep rally for the 2010 mid-term elections and an early cattle call for the 2012 Republican presidential primary, progresses:

PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL: Straw polls can get a little too much play, considering they can be manipulated based on campaigns paying for volunteers' registration fees, the proximity of the conference to candidates' home bases, etc. (Good news for Bobby Jindal, assuming he enters?) The field may be a bit thin, too, with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty not attending the conference in person, though he may speak by video, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney not on the ground.

But a straw poll is a straw poll, even 23 months before the first 2012 primaries and caucuses. The winner will call it a big deal. And enough folks in the media will treat it that way to make it worth the winner's time. The Politics 101 lesson: "If they're gonna keep score, you might as well win."

Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneA Sarah Palin cardboard stand-up at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in the Hilton Riverside Grand Ballroom on Thursday. The real thing will appear later today.

HOW WILL SARAH PALIN MAKE NEWS? She always does. Her stock line of late has been "You're fired!" -- addressed to Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. She'll repeat that in some fashion today. Will she add some policy heft or just fine tune her role as a self-described pit bull with lipstick?

WHICH BOBBY JINDAL SHOWS UP? The 38-year-old governor got a great opportunity last year with the nationally televised Republican response to Obama's first address of Congress. Jindal flopped, more in delivery than content, but he got harsh reviews on both fronts. Public speaking, particularly from the podium, has never been his strong suit. But if he's got national ambitions, it's something he'll have to improve. Today is a good opportunity, with both a friendly audience of party faithful and a gaggle of national media who are more focused on Palin and others, meaning Jindal can do himself a favor by exceeding their expectations. Politics 101 says these kind of affairs don't necessarily doom a candidate (or potential candidate), but they can certainly be a springboard. (Example: Then-Sen. Barack Obama's Nov. 10, 2007 speech to the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa.)

VITTER RECEPTION: Sen. David Vitterof Louisiana will speak Saturday, but he's not considered a headliner for the event, instead enjoying slots alongside Louisiana's six Republican House members. They are all seeking re-election. Organizers explained that host-state officials were invited to speak, but that doesn't answer why Jindal gets a top billing, while the state's junior senator gets lumped with the House delegation. It's obviously "inside baseball," but it's noticeable given that Washington, D.C., protocol dictates a prestige gap between the lower house and the Senate. Vitter has amassed a $5 million war chest heading into his November election against Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville. But there have always been lingering questions about how the social conservatives in the GOP base feel about the senator after his "serious sin."

'REPEAL' OR 'REPEAL AND REPLACE'? Those inside the Hilton Riverside obviously are no fans of the health care overhaul Obama signed into law. And public opinion polls continue to suggest the issue could bear fruit for Republicans as they try to recapture a majority in one or both houses of Congress. But a deeper look at the polls suggests that individual components of the bill -- ending insurer discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions, banning the insurer practice of nixing coverage after a policy holder gets sick, letting young adults remain on their parents insurance -- remain popular.

Republicans want to focus their rhetoric on the "government take-over of health care" and continue to stoke fears that the overhaul will threaten access and drive up costs. Democrats, at least those who are willing to go on offense about health care reform, want to turn any Republican mention of repeal into a reminder of the protections that people would lose.

Despite many Republicans claiming momentum on the issue, some GOP figures seem aware of that potential opening for Democrats, hence the slightly more nuanced "repeal and replace" rhetoric. To be clear, even realizing the most optimistic Republican forecasts this November would not give the party enough votes to override a certain presidential veto of any genuine repeal act. But party gatherings like this aren't actually about governing; they're about winning the opportunity to govern.

Listen for whether potential presidential hopefuls/rising stars like Palin, Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Mike Pence, et al, take a side -- or carve out a new posture on the issue. Will they talk only to the base or walk the tightrope between the natives and a wider audience.

Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said his boss is "going to talk about the question of repealing or replacing the federal health care mandate on Americans and that there is no question that we should work to repeal the legislation. The governor will also stress the importance of Republicans offering their own agenda on health care reform."

CHAIRMAN MICHAEL STEELE: The embattled national party chairman on Saturday gives his first major public address after a rough stretch that included a party staffer treating donors to a night in a high-dollar Beverly Hills strip joint. He's likely not in danger of losing his job yet, but it's obvious that the flock is disenchanted, given that a party chairman should never be a national story. Will he address the criticisms head on, play the ostrich role or employ the time-honored Washington tradition of nibbling around the edges of a problem, something in the realm of a "non-apology apology"? Whatever his strategy and tactics, will they be enough to restore confidence?

KATRINA? None of the major speakers mentioned Hurricane Katrina, broken levees, their aftermath or the recovery yesterday. Will Jindal? Will anyone?